Why having a sense of control over your environment matters

Making sure that people at work feel that they have a comfortable amount of control over the world in which they find themselves has always been important. Recent research reinforces why.

A new study by Mansor and colleagues (2025), for example, links worker control over the temperature where they work to better wellbeing via data collected using a survey. The research identifies a ‘significantly positive direct relationship between indoor air temperature, relative humidity and personal control on occupant psychological health.’

Another aspect of worker control is having autonomy over where to work. Metselaar’s recently completed dissertation (2025) confirms the value of people being able to select to work in the office, at home or elsewhere: ‘Autonomy is the gateway through which spatial flexibility translates into positive outcomes. Spatial flexibility contributes to work-life balance and performance primarily because it enables greater autonomy over how, when, and where work is done.’

Building on research

The latest research into control builds on past studies in the field. Leotti, Iyengar, and Ochsner (2010) reported on a biological benefit of control: ‘Belief in one’s ability to exert control over the environment and to produce desired results is essential for an individual’s wellbeing. . . Converging evidence from animal research, clinical studies and neuroimaging suggests that the need for control is a biological imperative for survival.’

Leotti and Delgado (2011) went to report that ‘anticipating an opportunity for choice was associated with increased activity in a network of brain regions thought to be involved in reward processing. . . the perception of having control seems to be critical for an individual’s well-being.’

For some time, study results have shown links between having environmental control and enhanced workplace outcomes. Veitch (2012) reported, for example, on links between control of lighting and higher overall environmental satisfaction, job satisfaction, and organisational commitment.

O’Neill (2010) tied environmental control to enhanced performance at the individual, group and organisational levels. Specific architectural features that can provide environmental control were noted by O’Neill; these included ‘flexible meeting spaces, movable partition walls, unassigned workspaces, movable storage units, seating, adjustable shelving, task lighting, monitor arms.’

O’Neill concluded that ‘environmental control is about giving people the workspace design, furnishings, technology and policy tools that provide choice over how to work, as opposed to being controlled by the space and organisation policies . . . By making control a central component of strategy, organisations may enhance their competitive advantage.’

Making changes

For the greatest possible benefits, workers should be able to make needed changes in their work areas themselves, without calling in the facilities team. Newsham, Mancini, Veitch, Marchand, Lei, Charles, and Arsenault (2009) reported that ‘Participants with personal control [of their work environments] have better environmental satisfaction, mood, and task performance, compared to those without such control.’

Johannsen and Zak (2020) determined via physiological and other data collected during a time when employees were enjoyed increasing autonomy over where they work that ‘increased perceived autonomy can significantly improve individual and group productivity and that this can have a salubrious [healthy/beneficial] impact on mood.

Control doesn’t just come from the ability to make slight adjustments – it should be considered more broadly in terms of design. Wang and Boubekri (2011) report, for example, that focus-intense cognitive performance improves when people have a view of the entrance to their work area and over their co-workers, for example, compared to when such views are not available. A sense of control matters – and it always has.

Read more of the latest research insights from Sally Augustin in Research Roundup, her regular column in the Innovation Zone for WORKTECH Academy members and partners here.

Research sources

Rebecca Johannsen and Paul Zak. 2020. ‘Autonomy Raises Productivity: An Experiment Measuring Neurophysiology.’ Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11.

Lauren Leotti and Mauricio Delgado. 2011. ‘The Inherent Reward of Choice.’ Psychological Science, vol. 22, no. 10, pp. 1310-1318.

Lauren Leotti, Sheena Iyengar, and Kevin Ochsner. 2010. ‘Born to Choose: The Origins and Value of the Need for Control.’ Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 14, no. 10, pp. 457-463.

Razlin Mansor, Low Sheau-Ting, and Choong Weng-Wai. 2025. ‘The Effects of Personal Control and Perceived Thermal Comfort on Occupant Psychological Health at the Workplace.’ Architectural Science Review, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 94-106.

Samantha Metselaar. 2025. ‘When Flexibility Works: How Spatial Flexibility Shapes Work-Life Balance Experiences and Performance.’ TWR Network Research Insights

2009. Newsham, S. Mancini, J. Veitch, R. Marchand, W. Lei, K. Charles, and C. Arsenault. 2009. ‘Control Strategies for Lighting and Ventilation in Offices: Effects on Energy and Occupants.’

Michael O’Neill.  2010. ‘A Model of Environmental Control and Effective Work’. Facilities, vol. 28, no. 3/4, pp. 118-136.

Jennifer Veitch. 2012. ‘Work Environments.’ In Susan Clayton (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Environmental and Conservation Psychology. Oxford University Press: New York, pp. 248-275.

2011. Wang and M. Boubekri. 2011. ‘Design Recommendations Based on Cognitive, Mood, and Preference Assessments in a Sunlit Workspace.’ Lighting Research and Technology, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 55-72.